Victim's attorney in accidental DeKalb Police shooting says report false

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Three DeKalb County police officers who went into the wrong house are being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The Monday night shooting left the homeowner and an officer shot in the leg and killed the family's dog.

Homeowner Chris McKinley met with G.B.I. investigators Friday morning. His attorney, Jeff Brickman, said he was shocked when Channel 2 Action News first showed him the initial police report detailing the shooting.

"It almost makes you think they're talking about a different case," he said.

The report states the officers were responding to a call of a burglary in progress when they went in an unlocked back door of the McKinley's home on Boulderwoods Driver Monday around 7:30 p.m.

It says they "announced their presence by calling out, 'DeKalb police'", something the attorney says is a lie.

"Nobody ever announced before they came into the house that they were DeKalb police," said Brickman.

The report also says McKinley "burst out of a closed door with a pit bull that charged at the officers." Brickman says there was no burglary.

The family was watching a movie, heard a noise in the kitchen and McKinley went to investigate.

"Chris McKinley didn't burst out of any closed door," Brickman said. "He doesn't have a pit bull."

The dog was a 10 year old female Boxer named Yana that the family's lawyer called so docile, it would cuddle up with their 1-year-old boy.

"The baby would lean over on her like a pillow," Brickman said.

The G.B.I.'s preliminary investigation revealed DeKalb County Police Officer Travis Jones, McKinley, and the dog were all shot by police, and that the homeowner did not have a gun or fire any shots.

DeKalb County's Director of Public Safety Cedric Alexander said in an interview the day after the shooting that it's too early to know what they should have done anything differently.

"These officers responded the way they were trained to respond based on the information that was given to them," said Alexander.

DeKalb's top cop also says they are waiting for the full investigation from the G.B.I. to be complete.

"Because no one knows until you put this whole investigation together. And then whatever the outcome of that case is, that is what we will go with," Alexander said.

WSBTV